A Shift In Reality
by LokiSon
Summary: This is just an alternate ending to the story. I couldn't get it out of my head that Bruno was killed. I tried staying in character, if I didn't I apologize. Please rate and review, both are greatly appreciated.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Boy in the Sriped Pajamas. This is just a common fanfiction based off the 2008 film. Also please note that the first two paragraphs are taken directly from the film itself and I do not claim to have written them. They were simply needed to get where I wanted to go. **

Bruno sighed as he followed Schmuel through the camp. He had realized before that the propaganda film he had seen before had been a lie. It didn't make sense to the eight year old boy, he didn't understand. But the young German couldn't worry about that just now; he had to help his friend. "Schmuel, can we go to the café or something?"

He asked and looked at his friend. "Café?" Schmuel asked confused. Bruno looked at him as his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten lunch yet. "Maybe I should go home…." He said and looked at Schmuel with worry. "What about Papa?" The young Jew asked.

Bruno sighed and looked down. "I have to go home…." He said in a worried tone and looked at him. He wanted to help his friend but something didn't feel right. Schmuel sighed. "I understand…." He said and led Bruno back toward the fence.

"YOU TWO! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Bruno and Schmuel both stopped and turned to see one of the soldiers heading toward them. "Come here!" The soldier snapped. Bruno winced at the fierceness in the man's voice. Instantly he took off his cap. "I want to go home…." He said in a worried tone, tears forming in his eyes.

The soldier recognized him and knelt down beside him. "What are you doing here? And dressed like that?" He asked calmly shoving Schmuel away. "You corrupted him didn't you?!" He asked the young Jew angrily. "DIDN'T YOU?!" He snapped when Schmuel didn't answer.

With a growl, the soldier knocked the boys' feet from under him and kicked him in the ribs. "Stop! Stop, stop!" Bruno cried out, the tears sliding. "I just wa-wanted to see wha-what the camp was like…." Bruno told him and looked at Schmuel. "He's my friend…." He told the Nazi.

The soldier stopped. He knew Bruno didn't understand. "He's not a friend…." He said looking at Schmuel who was scared and shivering. "He is a friend and he's good. If you took the time to get to know them you'd know…." Bruno choked out and shivered as well. The soldier sighed. "Come along son, let's get you home…." He said to Bruno pushing Schmuel down then picked Bruno up.

The young boy squirmed and tried to get away as he heard his father call the soldiers to open the gates. "That's my father, let me go! Put me down!" He said and squirmed as the soldier held onto him. "Herr Kommandant!" The soldier called carrying Bruno.

Ralf turned and looked at the soldier calling his name. "Bruno! Bruno what are you doing? Why are you dressed like that?!" He asked pulling his son from the soldiers grip and hugged Bruno in his arms. Bruno sighed and looked at his father as he clung to him, tears streaming down his face. "Dad I saw the film. You said it was a nice place. You didn't tell the truth…."

Bruno said to his father who hugged him close and carried him out of the camp. "I'm sorry, but I had to keep it secret. Do you understand?" Ralf asked as he carried his son out of the camp. Bruno shook his head. "I don't understand why don't this look like the film?" The young boy asked his father.

Schmuel watched and sighed as his only friend disappeared. "Dad please don't let them hurt Schmuel, please? He's my only friend…." Bruno asked and looked at his father waiting for him to reply as he was set down. "Dad please?" He asked and looked up at him with tears in his eyes before running back to Schmuel and led him to his father.

"Dad he's my friend…." He said again when his father didn't answer. The young German continued to beg his father when his mother ran up. "Bruno what are you doing in these clothes?" Elsa asked and looked at her son as she took him from her husband and hugged him close.

Bruno looked up at her. "I was just trying to see what it was like in the camp. No one will answer me…." He told his mother as he took her hand in his and hugged her close as it began to rain. Bruno hugged his mother back and looked around for his father who was, now, nowhere in sight. "Don't do that again Bruno. You scared us half to death…."

Gretel said looking at her little brother, but her words were just an echo as Bruno looked around for Schmuel. "Schmuel! Schmuel where are you?!" He called out as he looked around and squirmed from his mothers' grip running off to find his friend, his mother trailing right behind him.

He continued to call out for his friend, stopping as he was grabbed by his father. "Where's Schmuel?!" Bruno asked as his father carried him out of Auschwitz and carried him home. "He'll be along Bruno…." Ralf told his son, although he felt bad lying to his son but he knew it had to be done.

Bruno shook his head and squirmed more so his father was forced to put him down. "I won't let anyone hurt him like Lieutenant Kotler!" He called as he ran off to find Schmuel calling out for him as Ralf followed and stopped him. "What are you talking about?" Ralf asked although he knew what Bruno was talking about but he wanted to hear it from him.

"That soldier, he hurt Schmuel when I gave him cakes…." Bruno told his father and dried the tears from his eyes, wincing as he heard a shot go off somewhere in the camp. He worried for his friend and started running again calling to Schmuel yearning for an answer.

Schmuel squirmed against the guard causing him to be slapped in the face. "Bruno! Bruno help me!" The young Jew called as he turned and saw Bruno and his father running toward him. "Leave my friend alone!" Bruno said hitting the soldier with his small fists, not that it did much damage toward the Nazi Lieutenant.

All Bruno could think of was his friend. He pushed Schmuel behind him with tears in his eyes. Ralf walked up behind him and sighed. "Bruno this Jew cannot be your friend. He's not human!" He told his son sternly. Bruno looked up at him as tears slid down his face mixed with the rain coming down.

"He is! He's good, everything you say about them is a lie! Schmuel plays with me when I'm lonely and Pavel carried me in and fixed my knee when I cut it on my swing!" He choked out as he looked at his father. Ralf couldn't believe what he was hearing. "If Schmuel stays then so do I…." The young boy choked out taking a step back and took Schmuel by the hand once more.

Ralf sighed and looked around glad none of the soldiers were paying attention. "Ralf?" Elsa asked with tears in her eyes as she hugged her son close to her. "Elsa I can't it's my duty. You know what I do…." He said. Bruno looked at him and took a step back. "Then I'm staying…." He choked out.

There was no way he was going to let Schmuel stay here alone. He refused to let go of his hand even though his mother and sister were trying to let him go. Ralf once again looked around. "Come on Bruno … You two boy!" He said speaking calmly to Bruno and snapped at Schmuel who quickly followed.

Bruno looked at Schmuel and sighed before looking at the cap in his hands and put it on his friends' head rather than his own as they walked out. Ralf made sure no one notice or said anything. "You can wear some of my clothes. I think they'll fit you and you can move away with us…." Bruno said and looked at Schmuel who smiled and nodded.

Leading him up to his room, Bruno grabbed some of his clothes and offered them to Schmuel, stopping when he saw his father at the door. "Bruno I need to talk to you…." He said calmly and looked at Schmuel giving him a dirty look as Bruno followed him out of the room.

The Commandant kneeled down to his son. "I need you to do me a favor Bruno…." He said grabbing a towel and throwing it around his sons shoulders. "Can I keep Schmuel?" Bruno asked in an uneasy tone as he looked at his father. "Yea about that, if anyone asks you're keeping him as a slave…."

The young boy looked at his father and took a step back. "Slave? But dad he's my friend…." Bruno told him not understanding what was wrong with Jews. Ralf sighed. "Bruno he's a Jew and if they found out that I let you be friends with him then you would lose me forever, do you want that?" He asked trying to keep his voice calm.

Bruno clung to his father. "No. I love you dad…." He said and looked at his father with tears in his eyes as his father rubbed his back. "Then I need you to tell people that and when you're around other people then I need you to treat him poorly…." He said as Schmuel stood at the edge of the door.

Although Bruno didn't want to treat his friend with such hatred he had seen the soldiers treat him with, he didn't want to lose his father either. "Like a game?" Bruno asked as his father dried him off. Ralf nodded. "Yes like a game, only we will know the truth and when this war is won then you can stop treating him so…."

The two boys both smiled at each other before Bruno turned back to his father. "Do I have to when we're alone?" Bruno asked and looked at his father. "Not when it's just the two of you…." He said calmly and sighed as he looked at his son then back at Schmuel not trusting the boy but didn't want Bruno near the camp either, but he knew that if he sent Schmuel back then Bruno would return.

"I promise…." Bruno said to him before going to his room to take the clothes off and dry off then threw the clothes he had been wearing away then looked at Schmuel. "Here put this on…." He said taking one of his hats which he hated, and put it on the boys' head. "There good as new, although …. You may want to bathe. You smell horrible…." He said.

Schmuel gave a weak chuckle. "We don't bathe over there. It's not allowed…." He said and sighed before looking at Maria and hid behind Bruno who looked at her. "That's just Maria she won't hurt you. Maria start a hot bath for Schmuel. He smells…."

Bruno told her and watched her smile and walk off. "Of course Master Bruno…." She said calmly. "See? I told you…." He said before ushering Schmuel to the bathroom to clean up. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were German…." Bruno said not understanding still that Jews were German as well.

The young Jew gave another weak smile. "Bruno…." His mother called. Bruno smiled and led Schmuel downstairs. "Time to go sweetheart…." She said just as she had before. Bruno put his arm around his friends shoulder and led him out before getting in the car with his mother and sister.

"We're going to Heidelberg to live with my Aunt Lottie. She won't hurt you….." He told Schmuel as he looked at him. "What's wrong?" He asked calmly when Schmuel just nodded. "What about Mama and Papa?" He asked and sighed a he played with his hands. Bruno sighed. "I am sorry but I would never see you again…." He told him and looked back as the house had disappeared forever and Bruno and Schmuel drove away, leaving Auschwitz behind them, gone forever.


End file.
